There are some additional Navajo arts which are growing in popularity around the world today as well.

1. Silversmithing

This work came to the Navajo people in the 19th century as people from Spain and Mexico moved into the region. The first items came from melting currency from the U.S. or south of the border, with turquoise quickly becoming part of the process. The ceremonial significance of these pieces cannot be overstated.

2. Pottery

Artifacts from the 16th century show us that the Navajo people have almost always expressed themselves through this art form. You will find numerous figures, etchings, and designs on individual pieces to communicate a specific message. Although the pottery is no longer confined to the traditional methods or styles, you can still find experts creating items for ceremonial use in the Nation today.

3. Wedding Baskets

The Holy People made baskets for ceremonial purposes as part of their origination of First Man and First Woman. This element of artwork in the Navajo culture carries with it a special significance because they are often given as gifts or part of a household display. As with the rugs, there can be different designs based on the region of creation.

4. Sandpainting

This symbolic art form is another talent believed to have been handed down from the Holy People. You can find it for sale in some galleries throughout the Navajo Nation, but it is still primarily a ceremonial labor of love. This work can represent sacred songs as well, with some families and individuals creating their own works based on the unique history of their lineage. Authentic sandpainting occurs on the ground, but you can purchase items placed on a board to take home.

Navajo arts have earned their global recognition because of the outstanding quality of each piece. Discover what it means by incorporating a piece into your home soon.

Boiled goat, acorns, and items obtained from hunting, gathering, and farming activities were also part of the eating experience.

The current Navajo food culture is similar to what most Americans eat today, although there are some elements of tradition still found in the culinary habits of today’s families.

Food Insecurity and the Navajo Nation

Most of the Navajo people have conformed to the habits and norms of U.S. society, eating numerous processed foods with a different nutritional profile from what was typically consumed. The only exceptions to this circumstance are frybread and maize.

The issue with food in the Navajo culture is one which has close ties to poverty. Unemployment levels are high in this region, which means food deserts are common. A majority of families who live in the Nation receive some type of government support to ensure there is enough to eat.

There were only 10 supermarkets in the entire Navajo Nation in 2006-2007. Only three more opened by 2014, with almost all of them located on the border of the reservation. Many families cannot access this resource, which means the quality of their food is poor. That places this population group at a significant risk of being either overweight or obese.

Additional Health Concerns with Navajo Food

Most of the healthier food choices available to the Navajo people are only found at the supermarkets. Because convenience stores are the primary source for groceries for some families, there is no guarantee that SNAP or WIC benefits are usable at the closest shopping location.

This issue increases the risk of obesity further, evidenced by a 25% spike in this issue from 1996 to 2006.

Some traditional foods can offset this issue somewhat if the household farms corn, goats, or sheep. Goat milk helps to sustain many children over the years, but a transition to the modern American diet is taking away many families from their agricultural history.

There are many challenges to face with Navajo food and their culture of eating in the future. A good first step would be to introduce more opportunities for fresh foods to become available.

The Navajo people believe that the Holy People taught them centuries ago on how to live the right way on their land. This teaching included how to conduct themselves morally during each chose made during their everyday life. The goal is to live in harmony with the Earth and Sky, mother and father respectively, along with the other elements which are present.

The Four Holy Mountains of Navajo Culture

The Dinè believe that the holy people put forth 4 great mountains that are each sacred to their culture. Mt. Hesperus lies to the north in Colorado, San Francisco Peak is the western marker, while Mt. Blanca and Mt. Taylor serve the east and south to form the final barriers. These are the landmarks which create the Navajo Nation.

These four directions are also represented by four specific colors. Jet black represents the north, while White Shell is the color of the east. Turquoise is what represents the south, while yellow Abalone is the color of the west.

These four mountains and the four worlds work with the other components of life that come with this number. The Navajo believe in four seasons, four clans, and four directions that work with the four colors, all working in harmony with one another in the boundaries created by the four mountains.

The Issue of Disorder in the Navajo Culture

Disorder in the Navajo culture represents a lack of harmony with these physical and spiritual components. Herbs, songs, prayers, and ceremonies are the traditional way to bring healing to an individual who is not feeling well. Some community members still prefer this method over the treatments they could receive at a hospital.

There are over 50 different ceremonies practiced by the Navajo Nation today, with all of them performed at various times throughout the year for specific reasons. Some can last as long as nine days.

The foundations of the Navajo culture have helped to build a resilient community that continues to thrive in the U.S. southwest. By understanding more about their history, we can all work together toward a brighter future.

Tools of the Hunters and Warriors

As with many of the tribal communities that existed in the United States before European colonies began to appear, the hunters and warriors of the Navajo Nation were well-skilled in the art of using arrows and spears to complete their work. Bows were used to defend territory or find food, complemented by the use of stone arrowheads that could be attached to spears as well as to the arrows they used.

The Navajo Nation would also create axes, saws, and knives from stone items as well.

Tools of the Farmer

The Navajo farmers would often use rakes and hoes as a way to prepare their fields each season for maximum yields. Soil in the southwestern areas of the United States is often dense below the surface, requiring it to be broken up for enough water to seep through while promoting root establishment. Corn, beans, and squash grow well in this area, especially when the tools were used to aid in irrigation practices as they were developed.

Tools of the Artisan

Many of the blankets, rugs, and jewelry crafts that are made in the Navajo Nation historically were from the skills and talents of women. They would use drop spindles to turn fleece into yarn. Then they would use looms to help with the weaving process to create the beautiful patterns that we still see today.

The jewelry makers would use hammers and blacksmithing techniques to forge silver items into their desired shapes.

Pottery-making is another popular activity in this culture, although in the past this work was usually completed by hand. Modern potters will use a wheel to craft the items that they want to make, from mugs to plates to vases, much like those who do not have tribal culture as part of their ancestry.

These Navajo tools helped to forge a great society. Now they are used to help community members stay in touch with their roots while providing for the future.

This land area was found to be rich in uranium and atomic and nuclear science began to take shape in the middle of the 20th century. It would provide a source of riches initially for the Navajo, but it would quickly turn into an environmental nightmare.

Hundreds of Abandoned Uranium Mines Exist

There are several hundred abandoned uranium mines which currently exist in the Navajo Nation. These sites have not been cleaned up either, adding another layer of risk to those living in the area.

Uranium mining is the most problematic activity for the industry due to the health and environmental effects it causes. The radioactivity of the ore is an issue that cannot be chemically mitigated using current technologies. That means a new mine, such as the one proposed for northwestern New Mexico, threatens the only drinking water supply for up to 15,000 people.

The effects of uranium last for decades without providing relief. Even though activities have ceased, there are still issues that this community faces each day because of what happened to the environment.

The Church Rock Disaster: 40 Years Later

The year 2019 will be the 40th anniversary of the Church Rock disaster in the Navajo environment. It was the largest accidental release of radioactive material in the history of the United States. Due to a tailing dam bursting, 1,100 tons of radioactive mill wastes, and 90 million gallons of contaminated liquid went through Arizona to the Rio Puerco River, which is still unusable as a source of drinking water.

Although the Navajo Nation has been diligent in their efforts to stop the exploitation of their land over the past century, there are still significant issues which have slipped through that require ongoing cleanup work. Educating everyone in the region, not just the native communities, in the dangers of radioactivity and uranium will help families understand just how dangerous this activity happens to be.

There are many raw materials that the mining industry could access in the Navajo environment. Uranium should not be one of them.

Unlike the traditional vase design, there are two spouts on a Navajo wedding vase instead of one. Each is intended to represent one spouse in the dual relationship, traditionally the husband and wife.

Then, in the middle, there is a handle which connects the two spouts together. A circle, oval, or teardrop shape may be present between the two spouts and the bridge, which is a representation of the new circle of life that is formed by the marriage.

How the Navajo Wedding Vase is Used

The wedding vase is more than a ceremonial item. It is an essential component of the wedding ceremony itself. It’s use works to preserve the sanctity of the marriage contract being formed between two people.

Before the wedding ceremony begins, a holy water is placed within the vase. This liquid may take on many forms, but it is traditionally created, then placed within the vessel, by the local medicine man. Depending on the tribal traditions, the liquid may be a nectar, some tea, or purified water.

On the day of the wedding, each spouse takes a turn drinking the holy water from the wedding vase. In the traditional ceremony, the husband would offer the vase to the wife first to drink from it. Then she would return the vase to the husband, so that he could take a drink from it as well.

Then the bride and groom would drink from the vase together as part of the ceremony. Some local tribal traditions suggest that if a couple is able to drink the holy water from the wedding vase without spilling, then they will have a long, happy life together.

The Wedding Vase After the Wedding

Once the wedding ceremony is over, the wedding vase becomes a representation of the couple’s foundational love together. It becomes a cherished item in the home, with both parties responsible for taking care of it.

Should the wedding vase become damaged, then it may increase the risk of the couple’s relationship being damaged as well.

After more than 100 years, the Navajo Nation Sovereignty in Education Act was passed in 2005. It shifted the responsibility of educational matters in schools to the Navajo Nation, allowing them to work collaboratively with national, state, and local officials to create a better system of education.

Most Navajo Students Attend Public School Systems

The difference for Navajo children compared to non-native populations is that the public schools were funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs instead of local school districts. That created funding challenges which set the educational opportunities much lower for tribal families due to the local of collaborative initiatives and programs.

For over a century, that has results in the Navajo Nation being required to support students who are not ready for college or a vocation. This created tragic consequences which held the wellbeing, even the survival, of individual students in fragile hands.

Even then, it wouldn’t be until 2014 that the Navajo Nation would be selected to receive research funding to determine if it could assume responsibility for the schools within its territory.

Why Is Reform Necessary for Navajo Education?

Reforms are needed within Navajo school districts because experienced teachers and administrative staff are not readily present. The turnover rates in these school districts, before reform efforts started, were triple that of the average school district.

These high turnover rates created fragile learning environments with little family involvement or student accountability. By establishing more local control, the goal is to promote more self-determination within the educational processes available to Navajo families.

Partnerships can now be formed with other groups, including other school districts, to strengthen the curriculum available at Navajo schools. This will help to reduce the performance gaps seen between Navajo students and non-tribal students.

Funding still comes from the U.S. government, with more than $200,000 in funds awarded for each fiscal year. The difference is in the supervision. Instead of distant federal oversight, students get locally-based oversights from with the Navajo Nation. In time, this should help to improve the educational profile of all.

The story begins with the Long Walk. The Navajo people were being incarcerated by settlers moving west because of “incursions” on settler land. In 1864, they would eventually begin being released and given their own land base through reservation establishment treaties.

The first established government for the Navajo would be formed in 1868.

When Was the Nation Government Established?

The first Tribal Council for the Navajo people was established in 1923. Before this council was established, the Navajo were a fractured people. Each group had its own reservation-based territory that it controlled.

The first Tribal Council was established from the existing leadership of the various communities. There would not be an election for the Navajo people to send representatives to this council until 1938.

The Navajo government would remain in this format until 1989. In December of that year, legislation called the Title 2 Amendment was passed. This amendment transformed the government into a three-branch system, similar to what other democratically-based governments were offering around the world.

Who Leads the Navajo People?

The executive branch of the Navajo government is headed by a President and a Vice-President, who are elected by popular vote. Each serves a term of four years once elected.

In the judicial branch, there is a Chief Justice, who is appointed by the President. To serve, the Chief Justice must be confirmed by the Navajo Nation Council.

It is this council which serves as the legislative branch for the Navajo people. There are 24 elected members, referred to as Council Delegates, and they each serve a 4-year term as well. When this branch is not in session, then there are standing committees which continue on the work until the government comes back into session.

Most government meetings are still conducted in the language of the Navajo, which was used by the United States as a code because it could not be deciphered by enemy troops during the second world war.

Many of the chants you’ll hear from the Navajo culture involve healing. Each can be performed through one of three different rituals. They are called Lifeway, Evilway, and Holyway.

When the lifeway chants are being used to heal, the goal is to mend physical injuries which have occurred. If someone were injured while hunting, for example, the traditional method of healing would involve chants that encourages this process.

For the evilway chants, the goal is to banish evil out of the individual, the village, or the land. By removing the darkness, healing begins because light can once again enter.

The holyway chants are designed to attract goodness toward that which requires it.

Sandpainting ceremonies, called ‘iikááh, are part of the holyway and evilway chants.

Why Are the Navajo Chants Used to Promote Healing?

The goal of the Navajo people is to live in such a way that harmony, happiness, and beauty becomes part of life. Chants are part of this life experience, just as prayers, ritual songs, and other activities that encourage oneness with the universe.

Illness, evil, and darkness are all thought of as conditions which disrupt the harmonies of the universe itself. Because they cause disruption, they become dangerous.

In total, there are at least two-dozen chant complexes that are used to help restore balance back to the system, using the three different approaches. About 8 of the chants, many of them based on rites focused on blessings, are regularly used as part of the Navajo culture.

These chants include windway, mountainway, nightway, and beautyway.

The chants will usually be performed over multiple nights to improve the effectiveness of the effort. Holyway chants, as an example, may be performed over 2, 5 or 9 nights, with ceremony components strung out together over a specific order.

Each chant is also based on the expression of how the universe was initially created. Movements during a chant are clockwise because that follows the direction of the sun. With ritual objects included to also improve each Navajo chant, this core component of the culture continues to thrive.

“Son, go find Father,” someone might say.

There is more than a sense of identity that comes with a Navajo name. The name becomes the very definition of who they are. Each name is descriptive, and, in some tribes, a person’s name may even change as their life evolves with age.

Though to be fair, the Navajo call themselves something else. They go by the name Diné, which literally means “people.”

Navajo Names for Girls

Although the names are descriptive, there are some common Navajo names that are used today. Here are a few of the most popular names for girls and what the name actually means.

Ajei: Literally, “My Heart.” It describes a person who has great importance or significance.
Asdza: Or, “Woman.” It describes the hope of what a girl will become one day – a strong woman.
Chooli: This means “Mountain.” A person who is steadfast and will not have their foot moved.
Dezba: Means “Warrior.” It may describe a child’s fighting spirit or be assigned to a soldier.
Haloke: Literally, “Salmon.” The salmon is reliable, earning trust by following specific habits.

Navajo Names for Boys

The Navajo names for boys follow the same rules. They are meant to be highly descriptive as a way to enhance each identity. Here are some of the popular names for boys and what the name means.

Atsa: Literally, “Eagle.” It may be a representation of a spirit animal or describe great speed.
Bidzii: Or, “Strength.” A boy may be physically, mentally, or spiritually strong – if not all three.
Gad: This means “Juniper Tree.” Junipers grow tall and strong, providing shade in the desert.
Tahoma: Means “Edge of the Water.” It reflects the quiet patience required when by a river.
Yas: Literally, “Snow.” When it snows, the world becomes quiet and peaceful.

There are many components behind the name that is given to a child in the Diné culture. By understanding the importance of these names, the importance of the individual can be understood with greater ease as well.